Continue WI High Speed Rail Plan

This petition is in regards to the recent suspension by Governor Doyle, of the WI high speed rail corridor from Milwaukee to Madison. A great number of the citizens of this state, for whom the railway will greatly benefit, feel that this railway will be more beneficial to WI than we presently estimate. The newly elected governor of WI, Scott Walker, has pledged to shut this railway project down completely stating that it is a "boondoggle" to the taxpayers of this great state. While we sympathize greatly with the Governor for his pledge to save our taxpayers money, we feel that rather than cutting the program altogether, we should reevaluate it , to not only draw out the merits of such a program, but also to find alternative means of taxation or funding for the upkeep of this rail project. We also feel it would greatly contribute in the long run, to the commerce of the corridor itself, with many small business in the districts with terminals, gaining tourist traffic and possible relocation of individuals from the two cities, to those areas via an open and easy mode of transportation to their main arteries of employment. We appeal the the Governor and WI state legislature.

We're certain you have noticed that through the past few days of developments regarding the Wisconsin High Speed rail project, there have been a number of persons interested in your plans for either keeping, or scrapping the project altogether. While many of us understand and sympathize with your process of thought regarding canceling the rail project, many are concerned. They are concerned that the $810 million given to us by the federal government, will undoubtedly land somewhere else, and thus leave our great state, not allowing us to have the chance to create new jobs for persons who are so eager to get to work. We are concerned that moving forward to rebuild the state from the turmoil of the recent economic climate, will only continue to get slower with the message that Wisconsin isn't ready to take on the future. And finally, we are concerned that posterity will look back upon our great state, as the ones who 'foolishly gave-up the chance to employ its people, due to silly legal stipulations, or the sending or a message to Washington; a message that had no direct affect on the persons presently unemployed in our state.

Nothing resounding is ever achieved easily, or without much back-lash. The hard work of men and women from all across our great nation, built our infrastructure and the things we have today. From politicians who lobbied for and against our great projects, to the road construction workers and track layers who directly built these marvels of engineering with their sweat and blood, Americans, especially Wisconsinites, have come to know what it takes to forge a great nation and state. Through great hardship and difficult times for many, came some of our greatest projects; things we are known throughout the world for having envisioned and completed. Things that have sent strong messages of hard work and resourcefulness in a time of fiscal austerity and penny pinching. We hope that in the coming months, you will begin to look on this project as an opportunity, not only to link our great cities of Milwaukee and Madison, or to build the economy surrounding the planned rail corridor, but also to show the nation that through fiscal restructure and organization of this project, your administration will leave a message that we can achieve great things if we compromise.

In conclusion, we ask at this time, that you reconsider scrapping the rail plans altogether. That this plan perhaps be restructured by your administration to fit into the Wisconsin budget, and rather than be a burden to our taxpayers, be a message of achievement to posterity. We believe we are witnessing an opportunity in this state; an opportunity to reach across aisles, break down walls and come together not as politicians or partisan members, but as a people the people of Wisconsin - to achieve something together with the use of compromise, fiscal responsibility, and the chance for hundreds to go back to work.